Billionaire Prokhorov appears at CEC to submit signatures in support of his presidential bid

January 18, 2012, 16:57 UTC+3At about 15:30 Moscow time, Prokhorov appeared at the Central Election Commission with a box with signature lists in his hands

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MOSCOW, January 18 (Itar-Tass) —— Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who seeks to run for Russian president, on Wednesday submitted to the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) lists of signatures in support of his self-nominee presidential bid.

At about 15:30 Moscow time, Prokhorov appeared at the Central Election Commission with a box with signature lists in his hands.

In order to be registered as a self-nominee he has to present more than two million signatures.

Initially, he was expected to come to the Central Election Commission in the morning but postponed his visit more than once. Sources close to Prokhorov said it was because of “technical specifics of transporting a cargo weighing more than a ton,” for which purposes “several trucks were used.”

Upon arrival, Prokhorov apologized to journalists for being late. “We were totally ready. I am not the boss here. I have come as soon as they told me to come,” he said.

The Central Election Commission is expecting signature lists in support two more self-nominees, governor of Irkutsk region Dmitry Mezentsev and Svetlana Peunova of Samara, and signature lists in support of Grigory Yavlinsky nominated as presidential candidate by the off-parliament party Yabloko.

The term for submission of signatures needed for official registration of presidential candidates expires at 18:00 Moscow time on Wednesday. The Central Election Commission will have ten days to verify the signatures.

By now, there are four official registered candidates for president, who were nominated by the four parliamentary parties, which under law do not have to collect signatures. Presidential candidates include Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of the ruling United Russia party, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Just Russia party Sergei Mironov, and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) Vladimir Zhirinovsky.